Hair styling device having shielded spring

ABSTRACT

A hair styling device includes two clasp plates each having a barrel provided thereon, and a spring member received and shielded and protected within the barrels and having two ends coupled to the barrels to recover and bias the clasp plates toward each other when the clasp plates are released. Each of the barrels includes a positioning pin to anchor the ends of the spring member, and to allow the spring member to be twisted when the barrels are rotated relative to each other. Each of the barrels includes an inclined surface slidably engaged with each other to move the barrels toward and away from each other when the barrels are rotated relative to each other.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a hair styling device, and moreparticularly to a hair styling device having a suitably shielded springmember for preventing the spring member from being exposed and fromhurting people.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Various kinds of typical hair styling devices have been developed andcomprise a spring member engaged between two clasp plates, for biasingcomb teeth of the clasp plates toward each other.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,184 to Shu discloses one of the typicalhair styling devices comprising a spring member having two legs engagedwith two clasp plates respectively. Normally, the spring member is acoil spring having two legs extended toward different directions forengaging onto the clasp plates respectively.

In order to force or to bias the comb teeth of the clasp plates towardeach other, the spring member should be made shorter and should be madestronger in order to provide a suitable resilience to bias against theclasp plates. However, when the spring members are made stronger, thehair styling devices will be more difficult to be assembled. Inaddition, the spring members are exposed and may clamp or hurt peopleinadvertently.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,467 to Potut et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,859 toShyu disclose the other typical hair styling devices also comprising aspring member having two legs engaged with two clasp platesrespectively, and the spring member is suitably enclosed or shieldedwith blocks or lugs. However, the spring members are also made shorterand stronger to clamp and force the clasp plates toward each other, suchthat it will also be more difficult to have the hair styling devices beassembled.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional hair styling devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a hairstyling device including a suitably shielded spring member forpreventing the spring member from being exposed and from hurting people.

The other objective of the present invention is to provide a hairstyling device including a structure for allowing the spring member tobe suitably and easily assembled into the clasp plates of the hairstyling device.

The further objective of the present invention is to provide a hairstyling device including a pair of clasp plates that may be movedlaterally relative to each other, for allowing the comb teeth to bemoved away from each other when the clasp plates are opened relative toeach other, and for allowing the comb teeth to be moved toward eachother to clamp hair in place when the clasp plates are forced and closedtoward each other by the spring member.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a hairstyling device comprising two clasp plates each including a barrelprovided thereon, and a spring member received and shielded within thebarrels of the clasp plates, and including two ends coupled to thebarrels of the clasp plates respectively, to recover and bias the claspplates toward each other when the clasp plates are released. The springmember may be suitably received and shielded and protected within thebarrels.

Each of the barrels includes a positioning pin attached thereto, theends of the spring member are coupled to the positioning pins of thebarrels respectively.

Each of the barrels includes at least one groove formed therein toreceive the positioning pin, and to secure the positioning pins to thebarrels respectively, and thus to secure the ends of the spring memberto the barrels respectively, and thus to allow the spring member to betwisted when the barrels are rotated relative to each other.

Each of the positioning pins includes a curved arm formed therein todefine a curved depression therein, and to stably receive the ends ofthe spring member respectively. The spring member includes two hooksprovided on the ends thereof respectively, for coupling to thepositioning pins of the barrels respectively.

Each of the clasp plates includes a cavity formed therein, each of thebarrels includes a protrusion extended therefrom and engaged into thecavities of the clasp plates respectively, to secure the barrels to theclasp plates respectively.

Each of the barrels includes an inclined surface formed therein, theinclined surfaces of the barrels are slidably engaged with each other tomove the barrels toward each other and away from each other when thebarrels and the clasp plates are rotated relative to each other.

Each of the clasp plates includes a plurality comb teeth providedthereon, the comb teeth of the clasp plates are movable toward and awayfrom each other when the barrels are moved toward and away from eachother by a sliding engagement between the inclined surfaces of thebarrels.

A shaft may further be provided and received in the barrels, the shaftincluding an orifice formed therein to receive and shield the springmember.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a careful reading of the detailed description providedhereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a hair styling device in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hair styling device;

FIG. 3 is a side schematic view of the hair styling device;

FIG. 4 is a partial top plan schematic view of the hair styling device;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross sectional view of the hair styling device,taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the otherarrangement of the hair styling device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-5, a hair stylingdevice in accordance with the present invention comprises a pair ofclasp plates 10, 30 each including a barrel 20, 40 provided or attachedto the middle portion thereof, one or more comb teeth 12, 32 formed orprovided on one end or the lower portion thereof, and a handle 13, 33provided or formed on the other end or the upper portion thereof formoving the comb teeth 12, 32 of the clasp plates 10, 30 away from eachother.

For example, each of the clasp plates 10, 30 includes a cavity 11, 31formed in the middle portion thereof, and each of the barrels 20, 40includes a protrusion 21, 41 extended therefrom, and engaged into thecorresponding cavities 11, 31 of the clasp plates 10, 30, for allowingthe barrels 20, 40 to be solidly secured to the clasp plates 10, 30respectively, with such as force-fitted engagements, adhesive materials,fasteners or latches (not shown), or by welding processes.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, the protrusion 21, 41 of the barrels20, 40 may also be formed integral with the clasp plates 10, 30 whileforming the clasp plates 10, 30 and the barrels 20, 40 with such asmolding or mold injection processes, for allowing the barrels 20, 40 tobe solidly secured to the clasp plates 10, 30 respectively.

Each of the barrels 20, 40 includes a bore 22, 42 formed therein forrotatably receiving a shaft 50 therein, and includes one or more grooves23, 43 formed in the outer end thereof for receiving a positioning pin60, 61 therein, and includes an inclined surface 24, 44 formed in theinner end thereof, and arranged for allowing the inclined surfaces 24,44 of the barrels 20, 40 to be slidably engaged with each other (FIGS.4, 5). The clasp plates 10, 30 may thus be rotatably secured togetherwith the barrels 20, 40 and the shaft 50.

Each of the positioning pins 60, 61 includes one or two ends engaged inthe grooves 23, 43 of the barrels 20, 40 respectively, by such asforce-fitted engagements, adhesive materials, or by welding processes,and includes a curved arm 62 formed or provided in the middle portionthereof, to form or define a curved depression 63 therein. Thepositioning pins 60, 61 may also be formed integral with the barrels 20,40 while forming the barrels 20, 40 with such as molding or moldinjection processes.

A spring member 70 is received and shielded within the through orifice51 of the shaft 50, and includes two hooks 71, 73 formed or provided onthe ends thereof, for engaging with or for attaching or coupling to thebarrels 20, 40 with the curved arms 62 of the positioning pins 60, 61,in order to force or bias the barrels 20, 40 of the clasp plates 10, 30toward each other. The hooks 71, 73 of the spring member 70 may besafely and stably received within the curved depression 63 of thepositioning pins 60, 61 respectively.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 4, when the handles 13, 33 are depressedand forced toward each other by the users, in order to move or disengagethe comb teeth 12, 32 of the clasp plates 10, 30 away from each other,the barrels 20, 40 and thus the positioning pins 60, 61 may also beforced to be rotated in different directions relative to each other.

For example, the barrel 20 may be rotated counterclockwise as shown indotted lines in FIG. 3, and the positioning pin 60 may be movedleftwardly as seen from FIG. 4, and the other barrel 40 may be rotatedclockwise, and the other positioning pin 61 may be moved rightwardly asseen from FIG. 4, such that the spring member 70 may be twisted and thespring member 70 may thus generate or apply a spring biasing forceagainst the barrels 20, 40 and the clasp plates 10, 30.

When the handles 13, 33 of the clasp plates 10, 30 are released by theusers, the spring biasing force of the spring member 70 may bias andrecover the barrels 20, 40 and the clasp plates 10, 30 back to theoriginal position where the comb teeth 12, 32 of the clasp plates 10, 30may be forced toward each other and may be engaged with each other forclamping the hair of the users between the comb teeth 12, 32 of theclasp plates 10, 30.

In addition, the inclined surfaces 24, 44 of the barrels 20, 40 may beslidably engaged with each other to control the barrels 20, 40 to movetoward each other (FIGS. 2, 5), or to move away from each other (FIG.4), when the barrels 20, 40 and the clasp plates 10, 30 are rotatedrelative to each other by the users. When the barrels 20, 40 are movedaway from each other, as shown in FIG. 4, the spring member 70 may bepulled or stretched, and the spring member 70 may thus further generateor apply a spring biasing force against the barrels 20, 40 to bias orforce the barrels 20, 40 toward each other.

When the barrels 20, 40 are moved away from each other by the slidingengagement between the inclined surfaces 24, 44 of the barrels 20, 40,the clasp plates may also be moved laterally relative to each other, forallowing the comb teeth 12, 32 to be moved away from each other and tobe easily engaged into the hair of the users when the clasp plates 10,30 are opened relative to each other, and for allowing the comb teeth12, 32 to be moved toward each other to clamp hair in place when theclasp plates 10, 30 are forced and closed toward each other by thespring member 70.

It is to be noted that the spring member 70 may be suitably received andshielded and protected within the shaft 50. However, the spring member70 may also be suitably received and shielded and protected within thebarrels 20, 40 of the clasp plates 10, 30 without the shaft 50. None ofthe typical hair styling devices includes a spring member that may bereceived and shielded with barrels of two clasp plates. The barrels 20,40 and the clasp plates 10, 30 may be biased and recovered back to theoriginal position simply by the twisting of the spring member 70 thathas two end hooks 71, 73 secured or positioned or anchored to thebarrels 20, 40 respectively with the positioning pins 60, 61respectively.

Alternatively, the barrels 20, 40 and the clasp plates 10, 30 may alsobe biased and recovered back to the original position simply by thesliding engagement between the inclined surfaces 24, 44 of the barrels20, 40, and the spring biasing force of the spring member 70 that is notrequired to have the two end thereof secured or positioned or anchoredto the barrels 20, 40 respectively.

It is further to be noted that the spring member 70 includes a longerlength as compared with those of the typical hair styling devices, suchthat the spring member 70 may be easily pulled or stretched to easilyengage the hooks 71, 73 onto the curved depression 63 of the positioningpins 60, 61 respectively, such that the spring member 70 may be easilyengaged or assembled into the barrels 20, 40 of the clasp plates 10, 30respectively.

Accordingly, the hair styling device in accordance with the presentinvention includes a suitably shielded spring member for preventing thespring member from being exposed and from hurting people, and includes astructure for allowing the spring member to be suitably and easilyassembled into the clasp plates of the hair styling device, and includesa pair of clasp plates that may be moved laterally relative to eachother, for allowing the comb teeth to be moved away from each other whenthe clasp plates are opened relative to each other, and for allowing thecomb teeth to be moved toward each other to clamp hair in place when theclasp plates are forced and closed toward each other by the springmember.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

1. A hair styling device comprising: two clasp plates each including abarrel provided thereon, and a spring member received and shieldedwithin said barrels of said clasp plates, and including two ends coupledto said barrels of said clasp plates respectively, to recover and biassaid clasp plates toward each other when said clasp plates are released.2. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of saidbarrels includes a positioning pin attached thereto, said ends of saidspring member are coupled to said positioning pins of said barrelsrespectively.
 3. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 2, whereineach of said barrels includes at least one groove formed therein toreceive said positioning pin, and to secure said positioning pins tosaid barrels respectively, and thus to secure said ends of said springmember to said barrels respectively, and thus to allow said springmember to be twisted when said barrels are rotated relative to eachother.
 4. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 2, wherein each ofsaid positioning pins includes a curved arm formed therein to define acurved depression therein, and to stably receive said ends of saidspring member respectively.
 5. The hair styling device as claimed inclaim 2, wherein said spring member includes two hooks provided on saidends thereof respectively, for coupling to said positioning pins of saidbarrels respectively.
 6. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 1,wherein each of said clasp plates includes a cavity formed therein, eachof said barrels includes a protrusion extended therefrom and engagedinto said cavities of said clasp plates respectively, to secure saidbarrels to said clasp plates respectively.
 7. The hair styling device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein each of said barrels includes an inclinedsurface formed therein, said inclined surfaces of said barrels areslidably engaged with each other to move said barrels toward each otherand away from each other when said barrels and said clasp plates arerotated relative to each other.
 8. The hair styling device as claimed inclaim 7, wherein each of said clasp plates includes a plurality combteeth provided thereon, said comb teeth of said clasp plates are movabletoward and away from each other when said barrels are moved toward andaway from each other by a sliding engagement between said inclinedsurfaces of said barrels.
 9. The hair styling device as claimed in claim1 further comprising a shaft received in said barrels, said shaftincluding an orifice formed therein to receive and shield said springmember.